Several research findings have identified factors likely to account for divorce. These factors include (but are not limited to):

1. Employment Status and Income Levels of Individuals

Several research on the employ­ment status of married individuals have identified how it influences marital stability. If the husband is employed, the likelihood of the mar­riage ending in divorce is low.

The is because, as the head, he would be in a better position to pro­vide for the family’s needs, strength­ening the family and increasing their standard of living (Lee, unpublished).

On the contrary, women who are employed are at risk of having a higher divorce rate, particularly when they find themselves in unhap­py marriages.

This is because they can afford to be independent and cater for their children (Becker, Landes & Michael, 1977; Oppenheimer, 1997; Sayer & Bianchi, 2000). Moore’s (1994) argument also supports the fact that women’s divorce risks increase as they find themselves in highly time-demanding occupations outside the home. This is because they might be unable to devote ample time to their spouses and children.

Despite these findings, I know of a good number of women who are doing their best to maintain some balance between their married life and their work. I highly commend such women for their extra efforts on behalf of their families.

2. Wealth

Research shows that the indi­viduals’ wealth status could either increase or decrease the probability of divorce. Some scholars (Kurderk, 1993 and Rootalu, 2010) indicated that when individuals are more afflu­ent and wealthy, marriage stability is compromised because couples could easily afford the costs involved in the divorce process.

Others also suggest that individ­uals who are not wealthy (especially women) are at lower risk of divorce than more prosperous women (Am­bert, 2002).

3. Geographical Location or Type of Residential Place

Geographic location and its char­acteristics could impact your mar­riage’s stability. Several studies on the location of residence have shown that married couples who live in urban communities are more likely to experience divorce than their rural counterparts (Adegoke, 2010; Adedo­kun, 1998).

According to Takyi (2001) and Moore (1994), urbanisation under­mines African marriages.

Characteristics dominant in urban communities, such as the preference for conjugal union over the extended family and the increasing number of women in restrictive and time-con­suming employment setups, have been argued to weaken the founda­tion of families and marriages.

This is because the conjugal family type does not allow for the in­volvement of other extended family members except for the immediate family (nuclear family). The immedi­ate family is mainly made up of the married couple and their children; hence, there is less opportunity for the involvement of other members of the other family.

Indeed, it matters a lot how much your in-laws are involved in your marriage (in a healthy way, without much interference).

Modernisation in Africa is destroy­ing the benefits that could have been derived from couples’ healthy rela­tionships with the extended family.

Oppong (1992) supported this argument that African modernisation has led to the type of urbanisation, encouraging wide separation from extended families. Unfortunately, ur­banisation supports an individualistic living arrangement (devoid of consid­erations for other families).

It is not surprising that a good number of researchers confirm that urban divorce rates exceed rural areas’ rates.

To be continued …

Source: Excerpts from “PREPAR­ING FOR A HAPPY AND FULFILLING MARRIAGE: Everything You Need to Know Before You Say ‘I Do’” Book by REV. COUNSELOR PRINCE OFFEI (Psychotherapist, Lecturer, and Marriage Therapist). ORDER BOOK NOW: https://selar.co/prepar­ing-for-a-happy-and-fulfilling-mar­riage

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